The tour was organized by La Selva Biological Station developed in the 1950s, by Dr. Leslie Holdridge who wanted to encourage sustainable use of the rainforest. It was the first private nature preserve in the country featuring a combination of old growth and disturbed rainforest. In 1968, UNESCO recognized the area as a Biosphere Reserve.
The tour aspect of the station primarily educates the newcomer to the biodiversity of the landscape within its 4000 acres. There are workshops, lectures, and bird watching adventures to be enjoyed, taught by knowledgeable individuals. One can stay in the lodge, do nature walks, or take a class or do as we did and partake of nature excursions.
Our boat ride began near Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí or the Old Port. The Sarapiqui River was once the lifeblood of the region due to its being a tributary of the San Juan River which connects Nicaragua and Costa Rica but its days as a bustling trade route died until it became a centre for eco-tourism. It is a quaint place and would be worth exploring.
We boarded a flat-bottomed boat on the river with our guide and so began a leisurely trip on the slow moving river. For two hours we hunted the banks for birds, monkeys, sloths, and crocodiles. We never saw the latter but we observed many creatures living their lives along the banks. I was glad to have my new camera with a long telephoto lens so I could snap pictures of the howler monkeys and sloths. They loved the higher branches. It was a serene place where the cares of life seemed to slip away.
We travelled back to La Selva for lunch and after a brief walk around the station enjoyed a great buffet with salads, rice and beans (of course), some delicious Italian-style dishes and meatloaf. Trés leche cake was dessert and was tasty. Like the rice and beans, each cake recipe seems to be different and depends on the nature of its creator.
We then piled onto the bus and it slowly sank into the roadside mud (it's wet in a rainforest). The bus driver said we ate too much! So we disembarked. Rocking the bus did not solve the problem but Costa Ricans are friendly, helpful people so the driver had no end of offers to pull the bus out. With each attempt, the vehicle and method of tow (rope/chain) increased in size until it was a Dole semi that extracted us amid much cheering.
The next excursion was an aerial tram ride through the rainforest. The gondola system was set up so one could observe the lower forest on the ride up the mountain and then see the upper canopy on the way down. It was a fascinating experience being close to so many birds and animals and getting a real feel for life in this environment. There were long breaks where no one spoke as we all enjoyed the calm from such a living, breathing biomass. In a way, I felt more connected to the earth than I had and am sure I was not alone experiencing this.
The rough reality of our bus ride home ended our bliss but life must go on. We arrived back at the hotel and the chairs had their dinner meeting. I was invited to join my friends for burgers at the bar but my tooth was causing me so much pain I opted for sushi in my room and beer from the minibar. I spent the evening reading trying to distract myself from my discomfort.
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